NASCAR and the T-Bird 430 and Olds 88

Wednesday

Oct 16, 2013 at 10:25 AM

Q: Hello, Greg, in your column about the T-Bird and the big engines, you mention the 430-inch V-8. Thunderbird raced this engine in 1959, and it was available in a street version and the (Holman-Moody) NASCAR version for racing. The 1958 Thunderbirds had four coil springs, which was a poor setup for the NASCAR racecars. Ford raced the '59 T-Birds in 1959 (with a better Holman-Moody suspension), and then moved over to the USAC when they were too old for the NASCAR events a few years later. I had a Thunderbird in high school, and it was a 1959 with the 430 V-8 engine and a three-speed with overdrive transmission. It also had a sunroof.

Q: Hello, Greg, in your column about the T-Bird and the big engines, you mention the 430-inch V-8. Thunderbird raced this engine in 1959, and it was available in a street version and the (Holman-Moody) NASCAR version for racing. The 1958 Thunderbirds had four coil springs, which was a poor setup for the NASCAR racecars. Ford raced the '59 T-Birds in 1959 (with a better Holman-Moody suspension), and then moved over to the USAC when they were too old for the NASCAR events a few years later. I had a Thunderbird in high school, and it was a 1959 with the 430 V-8 engine and a three-speed with overdrive transmission. It also had a sunroof.

Also, the Olds 88 in NASCAR was fast. I know the first 88 with the V-8 came out in 1949 and NASCAR ran its first races in 1949. You've said before the Olds 88 was the first ever muscle car. Can you please tell me more about how the car raced?

Keep up the good work, and I still recall the first Daytona 500 where the T-Bird of Johnny Beauchamp was flagged the winner in a photo finish with Lee Petty in an Olds, but then Petty got the win after NASCAR studied the photo a few days later. Keep up all the good work and thanks for all your columns. Retired June of 2012, I am "Grandpa" Bob Dalsky, from Wausau, Wisconsin.

A: Bob, thanks very much for the kind words. You are correct in your recall of the 1959 Thunderbird and its capability on the NASCAR racetracks. Many of the big-name drivers started in these Holman-Moody prepared race cars, which could run with a hardtop on or off (see photo).

To this day, I really like the 1959 T-Bird both street and race versions, and both command top dollar from collector enthusiasts.

As for the Olds 88, in my opinion it really was the first ever muscle car, although Olds didn't build it to become a muscle car. In NASCAR's first season, the Olds 88 of champion Red Byron won two events, and the Olds brand won four of eight overall. In 1950, Olds 88 V-8s scored 10 of 19 event wins and in 1951 20 of 41 NASCAR victories. In 1952, however, the Fabulous Hudson Hornets with a six-cylinder began to dominate, followed by the Chrysler 300s. Still, Olds went on to many wins through the late 1970s and 1980s, too. Today, it's just Ford, Toyota and Chevy, with hopes of a Dodge return in the future.